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Friday, March 10, 2006

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a huge baseball fan. And, yes, I'm well aware that the U.S. baseball team lost the other day to Canada, 8-6, in the so-called World Baseball Classic. But this is a classic case of over-analysis. On MSNBC, Tim Russert offered this assessment of the national political scene:

Republicans are petrified. They believe that eight months from now they could lose control of Congress. This (vote on the UAE port deal) was an attempt by them to assert their independence — to show they’re not a rubber stamp of George W. Bush.

So far, so good. But Russert continues:

When you talk to Republicans and their pollsters, they will tell you if you ask voters about Republican congressman, three things come up — Iraq, corruption and the port deal.... There’s an anxiety in the country right now that somehow we’re not up to the task; that we’re outsourcing everything.

There’s a toll road in Indiana that the governor wanted to lease to a Spanish company, and the people are up in arms about it. It doesn’t make sense to them.

It’s a small event, but when they see the United States losing to Canada in baseball, people ask, “What is wrong with us? This is the United States of America. Why can’t we manage our ports? Why can’t we beat a hockey country inbaseball? Why can’t we manage our own toll roads?” There is so much anxiety.

Major anxiety in America over the World Baseball Classic? Please.

I'll bet you half the country couldn't even tell you what the WBC is. If this 8-6 loss created any anxiety in America, it was only felt by the guy who lost a $100 bet to his cousin in Toronto.